Before you think of remodeling your kitchen, find a design that's just right for your needs -- whether that's a deluxe room for entertaining or an efficient space for cooking.

Midsize Kitchens

L-shaped, U-shaped, G-shaped -- kitchens that have cabinetry wrapping multiple walls have taken on new forms over recent decades, with peninsulas extending into spaces, islands floating in the middle of them, or all but the perimeter walls gone.

The most popular kitchen layout now may be the L-shaped with an island -- with or without seating -- which fits neatly into the corner of a home.